The purpose of the Clinical Research Core is to facilitate investigations of HIV infection and disease pathogenesis that require the use of human specimens. The Clinical Research Core builds upon the success of the previous CFAR Pediatric HIV Specimen Core by expanding the scope of operations to include infrastructure for acquisition of adult AIDS clinical specimens. Dr. William T. Shearer will be Core Director and Dr. Howard M. Rosenblatt (previous Director of the Pediatric Specimen Core) will be Assistant Director. New to this core is the installation of an adult ACTG subunit site at Baylor College of Medicine by Dr. Richard Pollard, Principal Investigator of the ACTG site at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Up to 100 adult patients will be enrolled in the BCM ACTG subsite in the first year of operation. The newly funded General Clinical Research Center at The Methodist Hospital, Baylor's principal adult teaching hospital, will be able to enroll these patients into multicenter ACTG clinical protocols and obtain specimens. Also, as additional sources, the Thomas Street Clinic, the VA Hospital, and the Montrose Clinic will provide adult HIV specimens to basic researchers through the facilities of the CFAR Clinical Research Core. Creation of this core was prompted by the CFAR experience of the past 4 years and by the needs assessment performed during the pla:ning process for the CFAR renewal. This core will continue to supply pediatric HW specimens to basic researchers at Baylor and in other research institutions. Addition of the adult patient component to the Baylor CFAR greatly expands its ability to support basic and clinical HIV research and, eventually, patient care.